Unalaska, Alaska
Unalaska
Iluulux̂ | ||
---|---|---|
Dutch Harbor Airport View from a hill on Amaknak Island View from the shore at sunrise and Iliukliuk Harbor | ||
FIPS code 02-80770 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1419424 | |
Website | www |
The City of Unalaska (
The
Almost all of the community's port facilities are on Amaknak Island, better known as Dutch Harbor or just "Dutch". It is the largest fisheries port in the U.S. by volume caught. It includes Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army, a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Dutch Harbor lies within the city limits of Unalaska and is connected to Unalaska by a bridge. Amaknak Island is home to almost 59 percent of the city's population, although it has less than 3 percent of its land area.
As a result of the town's strong fishing industry, Unalaska has also become notable for its large population of bald eagles, which number in the hundreds and were attracted to the area by human activity.[8]
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Choris%2C_Unalaska.jpg/220px-Choris%2C_Unalaska.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/MountMakushin.jpg/220px-MountMakushin.jpg)
The island of Unalaska was first inhabited by the
Unalaska and Amaknak Islands contained 24 settlements with more than 1,000 Aleut inhabitants in 1759, when the first Russian group under Stepan Glotov came and started trading for three years on Umnak and Unalaska. Between 1763 and 1766, a conflict between the Russian fur traders and the Unalaska Natives occurred; the Aleuts destroyed four Russian ships and killed 175 hunters/traders. In the 1760s, Unalaska was temporarily used as a Russian fur trading post.[9] The post was permanently established in 1774,[10] and was eventually incorporated into the Russian-American Company. It was there that Captain James Cook encountered the navigator Gerasim Izmailov in 1778.
In 1788, the Spanish made contact with the Russians in Alaska for the first time. An expedition by Esteban José Martínez and Gonzalo López de Haro visited several Russian settlements. Their westernmost visit was to Unalaska. On August 5, 1788, they claimed Unalaska for Spain, calling it Puerto de Dona Marie Luisa Teresa.[11]
Alexander Andreyevich Baranov was shipwrecked here in 1790.[12]: 2–5
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Russian_church_and_general_view_of_town_of_Unalaska%2C_Alaska%2C_June_1906_%28COBB_150%29.jpeg/220px-Russian_church_and_general_view_of_town_of_Unalaska%2C_Alaska%2C_June_1906_%28COBB_150%29.jpeg)
In 1825, the
On October 18, 1867, the United States purchased Alaska, which made Unalaska part of the U.S. territory.
In 1880, the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Town_of_Unalaska%2C_Alaska%2C_June_1906_%28COBB_151%29.jpeg/220px-Town_of_Unalaska%2C_Alaska%2C_June_1906_%28COBB_151%29.jpeg)
During the first half of the century, the island was touched by numerous epidemics, first in 1900, and then in 1919 the Spanish flu touched the island: these contributed to a dramatic decrease of the population in Unalaska.
Fearing the threat from
Beginning in the 1950s, Unalaska became a center of the Alaskan king crab fishing industry; by 1978 it was the largest fishing port in the United States. A 1982 crash in king crab harvests decimated the industry, and the mid-1980s saw a transition to bottom fishing.[14]
On October 25, 1977, an extremely intense extratropical system struck the area. A pressure of 926 millibars was recorded at Dutch Harbor, which was the lowest non-tropical pressure ever recorded in the United States until December 31, 2020, when another system struck the islands with a pressure of 924.8 millibars.[15]
Recent history
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Unalaska_1.jpg/220px-Unalaska_1.jpg)
The city has struggled with problems like alcoholism and unemployment in the past and still does, although the situation has improved in recent years.[16] One example is the Elbow Room, a bar which locally, and later abroad, became infamous for its raucousness. It was closed in 2005.[16]
Since 2005, the Discovery Channel's documentary show Deadliest Catch has focused on fishermen who are based in Dutch Harbor.
Geography
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Umnak_Unalaska.jpg/220px-Umnak_Unalaska.jpg)
According to the
Makushin Volcano (5,691 ft/1,735 m) is located on the island; it is not quite visible from within the town of Unalaska, though the steam rising from its cone is visible on the rare clear day. By climbing one of the smaller hills in the area, such as Pyramid Peak or Mount Newhall, it is possible to get a good look at the snow-covered cone.
Paleontology
A major find was announced in 2015 after scientists examined a group of giant, tusked, quadruped, marine mammal fossils. The species had been unearthed during excavation for the construction of a school. They are unique, shore dwellers belonging to the extinct order Desmostylia, and possibly related to Proboscidea or Sirenia.[17] A rendition of a group was drawn by Alaskan artist Ray Troll.[18]
Climate
As in all of the Aleutian islands in the south of Akutan Island (32 °F or 0 °C isotherm) the climate of Unalaska is a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc), closely bordering a subarctic climate (Dfc) following the trend of warming have predominates the first one. Even so, other climatic maps present even in group D in the Köppen Classification (even though all months average above freezing),[19] with moderate and fairly uniform temperatures and heavy precipitation. Winters are consistently cold, but relatively mild in comparison to other parts of the state. Summers are cool, with most afternoons only reaching highs of 54 °F (12 °C) to 70 °F (21 °C). Fog is often present even when it is not raining. Summer weather is around 5 °F (2.8 °C) cooler than Southeast Alaska (Sitka), but the winter temperatures are nearly the same, although despite the higher latitudes of cities such as Sitka and Ketchikan, both of the two cities have warmer winters than Unalaska.
The mean annual temperature for Unalaska is about 41.6 °F (5.3 °C), being about 33.0 °F (0.6 °C) in January and about 53.7 °F (12.1 °C) in August. The coldest month has been February 1984 with a mean temperature of 22.9 °F (−5.1 °C), while the warmest month was August 2019 at 57.3 °F (14.1 °C); the annual mean temperature has ranged from 38.0 °F (3.3 °C) in 1916 to 44.1 °F (6.7 °C) in 2016.[20] With about 225 rainy days a year, Unalaska is among the rainiest places in the United States. June through August are markedly the driest months of the year, with very rare thunderstorms. Precipitation is especially heavy from October to February, when frequent, often-intense storms from the North Pacific Ocean cross the area, bringing high to very high winds and heavy precipitation in any form, and sometimes, changing forms (rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow). On average, December is the year's wettest month. Snowfall averages over 81 inches (210 cm) per winter season, and can be heavy from December to March.
Unalaska's recorded temperature range is from 82 °F (28 °C) in August 1982 to −8 °F (−22 °C) in January 1986.[20] The coldest daytime maximum recorded is 11 °F (−12 °C) and the annual mean coldest day is 24 °F (−4 °C).[20] The warmest night on record is well above the average daily summer high temperature, standing at 65 °F (18 °C), with the mean for the annual warmest night being 56 °F (13 °C).[20]
Climate data for Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Alaska (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1915–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 58 (14) |
60 (16) |
69 (21) |
61 (16) |
66 (19) |
73 (23) |
79 (26) |
82 (28) |
80 (27) |
65 (18) |
67 (19) |
59 (15) |
82 (28) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 46.2 (7.9) |
47.3 (8.5) |
48.0 (8.9) |
50.0 (10.0) |
54.4 (12.4) |
60.9 (16.1) |
68.6 (20.3) |
70.9 (21.6) |
63.8 (17.7) |
57.3 (14.1) |
52.0 (11.1) |
48.4 (9.1) |
72.6 (22.6) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37.3 (2.9) |
38.6 (3.7) |
38.9 (3.8) |
41.8 (5.4) |
46.7 (8.2) |
52.3 (11.3) |
57.4 (14.1) |
59.3 (15.2) |
54.6 (12.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
43.3 (6.3) |
39.3 (4.1) |
46.5 (8.1) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.0 (0.6) |
34.0 (1.1) |
34.1 (1.2) |
37.1 (2.8) |
42.0 (5.6) |
47.3 (8.5) |
52.0 (11.1) |
53.7 (12.1) |
49.4 (9.7) |
43.2 (6.2) |
38.2 (3.4) |
35.0 (1.7) |
41.6 (5.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.7 (−1.8) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
32.5 (0.3) |
37.4 (3.0) |
42.4 (5.8) |
46.6 (8.1) |
48.1 (8.9) |
44.2 (6.8) |
38.4 (3.6) |
33.2 (0.7) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
36.7 (2.6) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 17.8 (−7.9) |
18.2 (−7.7) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
24.2 (−4.3) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
37.2 (2.9) |
41.0 (5.0) |
41.0 (5.0) |
35.9 (2.2) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
23.1 (−4.9) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
13.6 (−10.2) |
Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) |
0 (−18) |
2 (−17) |
10 (−12) |
15 (−9) |
30 (−1) |
34 (1) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
11 (−12) |
8 (−13) |
5 (−15) |
−8 (−22) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.79 (172) |
5.18 (132) |
4.65 (118) |
3.47 (88) |
4.20 (107) |
2.52 (64) |
2.30 (58) |
2.86 (73) |
5.73 (146) |
7.89 (200) |
6.66 (169) |
7.88 (200) |
60.13 (1,527) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 22.0 (56) |
14.2 (36) |
16.5 (42) |
6.3 (16) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
6.2 (16) |
15.8 (40) |
81.6 (207) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 22.0 | 19.4 | 19.2 | 18.0 | 18.1 | 14.7 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 20.1 | 24.9 | 22.5 | 23.1 | 230.7 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 10.1 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 3.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 4.1 | 9.3 | 44.5 |
Source 1: NOAA[21]
| |||||||||||||
Source 2: National Weather Service[22] |
Climate data for Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, Alaska | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average sea temperature °C (°F) | 4 (39) |
4 (39) |
4 (39) |
4 (39) |
5 (41) |
6 (43) |
8 (46) |
9 (48) |
9 (48) |
7 (45) |
6 (43) |
5 (41) |
5.6 (42.1) |
Mean daily daylight hours | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 12.3 |
Average Ultraviolet index | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Source: weather2travel "Dutch Harbor climate guide". weather2travel. Retrieved August 18, 2017. |
Note
- ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 406 | — | |
1890 | 317 | −21.9% | |
1900 | 428 | 35.0% | |
1910 | 281 | −34.3% | |
1920 | 299 | 6.4% | |
1930 | 226 | −24.4% | |
1940 | 298 | 31.9% | |
1950 | 173 | −41.9% | |
1960 | 218 | 26.0% | |
1970 | 342 | 56.9% | |
1980 | 1,322 | 286.5% | |
1990 | 3,089 | 133.7% | |
2000 | 4,283 | 38.7% | |
2010 | 4,376 | 2.2% | |
2020 | 4,254 | −2.8% | |
source:[23] |
Unalaska first reported on the 1880 U.S. Census as the Aleut and Creole (Mixed Russian & Aleut) village of Iliuliuk.[24] Of its 406 residents, 230 were Aleut, 162 were Creole (Mixed Russian & Native) and 14 were White. It was the 9th largest community in Alaska.[25] In 1890, it returned as Unalaska with 317 residents. This included a majority of 165 Creoles, 84 Natives, 66 Whites and 2 Asians (the total population included adjacent Dutch Harbor, and 5 docked vessels including the steamers Arago and Dora and schooners Nellie Martin, Pearl and Matthew Turner).[26] In 1900, it reported as Unalaska again, but did not present a racial breakdown. It reported again as Iliuliuk in 1910, but has reported from 1920 onwards as Unalaska. It was formally incorporated in 1942.
In the
There were 927 households, out of which 34% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43% were married couples living together, 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43% were non-families. 35% of all households had individuals under 18 and 5% had someone living who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 15% under the age of 20, 6% from 20 to 24, 40% from 25 to 44, 36% from 45 to 64, and 3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 194.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 218.7 males.
Economy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Dutch_Harbor%2C_Alaska.jpg/220px-Dutch_Harbor%2C_Alaska.jpg)
The port of Unalaska / Dutch Harbor is the main port and field base for the storied Bering Sea king crab fishery. The Dutch Harbor crabbing fleet is featured in the television show Deadliest Catch, a documentary style show on the Discovery Channel, and Dutch Harbor's facilities and local pub are featured prominently in numerous episodes.
Dutch Harbor has also been the largest fisheries port in the United States, in terms of volume of seafood caught, for nearly every year since 1981.[29][30] Until 2000, it also ranked first in terms of the dollar value of its catch; since 2000, however, the port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, has outranked Dutch Harbor in that category.[31]
A pilot project in Unalaska / Dutch Harbor, Alaska, is producing
Government
Local government
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Vince_Tutiakoff_speaking_%2835348586705%29.jpg/220px-Vince_Tutiakoff_speaking_%2835348586705%29.jpg)
Unalaska has a council–manager form of government. The mayor is elected at large, and serves a three-year term; his or her powers are mostly ceremonial.
The city council is the legislative body of the city; it is made up of six members, who are elected at large by a direct vote of the city's electorate. They also serve three-year terms. The city council has for its mission to "enact the laws of the city, set the mill rate for property taxes within the city, approve the annual budget for the city, and appropriate funds to provide for city services".[33]
The incumbent mayor is Vincent M. Tutiakoff, Sr. Former mayor Frank Kelty served more terms than any other Unalaska mayor, with a total of six terms over the years.
Unalaska also maintains its own municipal police department.
Legislative representation
Unalaska is located in the Aleutians No. 2 voting precinct, in the 37th election district and Senate district S. The city is represented in the Alaska House of Representatives by Bryce Edgmon, an Independent from Dillingham, and in the Alaska Senate by Lyman Hoffman, a Democrat from Bethel.
Unalaska was home to
Education
Primary and secondary education
As Unalaska is designated a first-class city and located within the
UCSD was voted one of the best 100 school districts in the United States by Offspring Magazine, a Forbes publication. It has also consistently been one of the highest scoring schools in Alaska in both the Standards-based exams and Alaska Exit Exam. In 2006, the Alaska Association of School Boards awarded the school district with the Outstanding School Board Award and Superintendent of the Year award.[citation needed]
Unalaska Headstart also serves the community's pre-elementary education needs.
Previously the Aleutian Region School District, which serves rural areas in the western Aleutian Islands, had its administrative headquarters in Unalaska;[34] the school board's mailing address was in Unalaska.[35]
Tertiary education
The University of Alaska Fairbanks also has a campus in Unalaska, the University of Alaska, Aleutian Pribilof campus. This college is part of the College of Rural Alaska network and offers both conventional classroom and distance classes.[36] It offers university classes, community workshops, local courses, as well as dual credit for high school students.[37]
11% of Unalaska residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.[38]
Transportation
Unalaska is connected to the rest of the state by air via the
The
There are approximately 7 miles (11 km) of paved road, and 38 miles (61 km) of road total in Unalaska.
Churches
- Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Ascensionof Christ, oldest Russian Church in the United States, built 1825
- Saint Christopher-By-The-Sea Catholic Church[43]
- United Methodist Church-Unalaska
- Unalaska Reformed Church Southern Baptist Convention[44]
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[45]
International relations
Unalaska has been
References
- Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. p. 154.
- ^ Kraegel, Laura (November 23, 2016). "Mayor Kelty Outlines Priorities For 3-Year Term". KUCB. Alaska Public Media. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ISBN 1-55500-047-9.
- ^ "2020 Census Data - Cities and Census Designated Places" (Web). State of Alaska, Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "History of Unalaska". Archived from the original on September 30, 2009.
- ^ "The Ounalashka Corporation". Ounalashka.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ Kaushik. "Unalaska: The Town Full of Bald Eagles". Amusing Planet. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ISBN 9780877795469.
- ^ "Dutch Harbor Unalaska" (PDF). Afsc.noaa.gov. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ISBN 9780810855519.
- ISBN 0919642500
- S2CID 163528642.
- ^ "Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor Convention and Visitors Bureau". Unalaska.info. Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ Korosec, Marko (January 3, 2021). "All-time pressure records set at the end of 2020: North Pacific extratropical storm peaks at 921 mbar, extreme cold in Mongolia sets new world record with 1094 mbar". Severe Weather Europe. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
- ^ a b Yardley, William (November 7, 2009). "Safe Harbor on Alaska Fishing Island, Still a Dream Away". New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- ^ "Interactive United States Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Map". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ NOAA. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
- ^ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850–1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 8.
- ^ "Geological Survey Professional Paper". U.S. Government Printing Office. April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Statistics of the Population of Alaska" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census, 1890". U.S. Government Printing Office. April 3, 1893. Retrieved April 3, 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Bureau, U.S. Census. "U.S. Census website". Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ "NOAA: Top fishing ports for 1996". Publicaffairs.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ "NOAA: Top fishing ports for 2003". Publicaffairs.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ "New Bedford and Dutch Harbor-Unalaska Share Nation's Top Fishing Port for 2000". April 5, 2002. Archived from the original on April 5, 2002. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ O'HARRA, DOUG. "New fish oil-diesel blend could benefit rural villages - Peninsula Clarion". peninsulaclarion.com. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ "Government description on the official website of the City of Unalaska". Unalaska-ak.us. Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Fried, Neal and Brigitta Windisch-Cole. "Public School Education: A Big Industry." Alaska Economic Trends. February 1998. Start: p. 2/17. CITED: p. 7/17. "Name of District[...]Aleutian Region District School Center[...]Location of Headquarters of District Office[...]Unalaska"
- ERIC(info in the ERIC PDF is on PDF p. 8/58).
- ^ a b "Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor Convention and Visitors Bureau". Archived from the original on September 18, 2009.
- ^ "Aleutian-Pribilof Center - Interior Alaska Campus". Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ "Unalaska city profile on ePodunk". US-AK: Epodunk.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- PDF
- ^ "OST_R | BTS | Title from h2". Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ "Alaskan Division of Community and Regional Affairs". Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ Witt, Jennifer W. (2013). Yan, Edith (ed.). Annual Traffic Volume Report (PDF) (Report) (2010-2011-2012 ed.). Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities. pp. III-8–III-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
- ^ "Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau". Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
- ^ Whitaker, Jacob. "Unalaska Reformed Church". Unalaska Reformed Church.
- ^ "Facts and Statistics". Church News. 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Alaska–Kamchatka Connections". Gov.state.ak.us. April 13, 1997. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg/40px-Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg.png)
- Official website
- Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Museum of the Aleutians, which can be found in Unalaska
- Nautical Chart: Unalaska Island to Amukta Island, centered on Dutch Harbor